Hinged section for fences, etc.



g- W. L. SEAY HINGED SECTION FOR FENCES, ETC

Filed June 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Willi a 1....52 a5 Aug. 13, 1935. f s 2,011,528

HINGED SECTION FOR FENCES, ETC

Filed June 22, 1934 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 w 24 FIG. 5. 2| 23 23 2| 2:

l 7 l 23 2| l2, a2 12, 2o m Qiia .24 2|-- a? a vi Wil'li Lisa- Patented Aug. 13, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,011,528 HINGED snc'rron'ron muons. ETC.

Willie L. Seay, Paris, rem. Application June 22, 1934, Serial No. 731,952 Claims. (Cl. 256-26) This invention relates to articulated paneled sections such as may be provided to form a variety of structures, including fences, guards, seats and chairs.

The principal object of the invention is' to provide a paneled section having a novel means for hingedly attaching it to anothersimilar section so as to easily construct a large variety of structures embodying a number of forms,

One embodiment of a structure which may be easily provided by the novel section is a child's play yard fence, and which fence may be adjusted so as to define a large number of. polygonal-shaped play yards.

An important object of the invention is to provide a plurality of sections which may be hingedly connected, with the hinged leaves offset laterally with respect to the sections so that compact boltbe convenient to ing of the sections is permitted and, so that the assembled structure may be converted from one flag}: to another, as from a play yard fence into a c r.

Another object is to provide a plurality of sections which may be hingedly connected together yet may be bound together into a rigid structure by means of a simple adjustment of the hinging device.

Still another object is to provide a plurality of sections which may be hingedly orrigidIy connected together-to form a structure, the change of the shape of the structure being easily effected, yet the hinging and connecting device is such that a small child, for instance, will not be able to disconnect the sections.

Another object is to provide an article as described which may be compactly folded so as to carry or so as to occupy but limited space. U

Still another object is to provide a plurality of sections which may be connected to form, for instance, a child's play yard fence, the construction of the sections being such that it will be difllcul-t, if not impossible, for the fence to be tipped over.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in'which drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel sections arranged in substantially a straight line.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the adjacent ends of two sections, showing the hinging and fastening means.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion Qt the means last mentioned.

. and lower faces.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of-aplurality of the sections hinged together and folded.

Figure 5 is a plan view of four sections assembled to form a guard.

Figurefi is a plan view of a plurality of sections assembled to define a play yard.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a plurality of sections assembled to form a chair.

-In the drawings, wherein for the, purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the novel sections include rails which may be defined broadly as spaced apart top and'bottom rafls Ill and II, these being substantially similar, in shape and possessing outer I faces 12, inner (facing) faces l3, end faces l4 andside faces '5. The end faces of the two rails are in substantially the same plane as are the side faces. 'Rigidly joining the two spaced apart rails l0 and H are a suitable number of spaced apart ,palings or bridging members l6. In the exampleshown, these palings are round and may have their ends disposed within sockets in the rails or attached in any suitable manner. It will be noted that the end palings l6 are disposed ,well inwardly of the end faces I of the rails. Preferably, the rails and palings are of .wood suitably painted or enameled.

of hinge leaves 20, each of which preferably com- 3 prise a strap-like member of metal and possessing some resiliency, as will be more fully described in the specification. Each leaf includes an attaching portion 2| suitably perforated for the purpose of employing screws 22 or the like to rigidly attach it to an outer face II of each rail, oneleaf being disposed at each end of each rail, or four leaves to asection. At the outer endof each attaching portion, the leaf is continued as an oifset portion 2:, being offset with relation to the longitudinal axis of the attaching portion 22, and, consequently, thelongitudinal axis of the rail to which the leaf is attached. In addition, a portion of the leaves arestepped as at 24 at their offset portions and inwardly of their free ends. At their free ends, each leaf has a pintle perforaticn 25 and the surface of the leaf material, substantially encircling the perforation may be roughened or.corrugated as at 26 for a purpose so later brought out in detail. This roughing may be upon only one face of the leaf or upon both upper The leaves 20 -are disposed upon the sections in the following-arrangement. At one end of each said to represent the paling of adjacent sections. Preferably adapted 2 c section, the offset portions 28 of the two leaves are not stepped and the offset portions (which,

of course, are the portions of the leaves which project beyond the end faces ll of the rails) both project in the same direction so that the perforain Figure 5. It is preferred to attach the leaves to the outer faces i! of therails ll.

There is a common pintle 3! for each pair of hinges, as shown in Figures 1 or 2, when the sections are assembled. This pintle .30 is a rod having a head 3| at one end and its free end screw threaded as at 32.

Cooperating with the corrugation 26, as a means to selectively prevent pivoting of the sec-- tions upon their hinges, is a tubular member 35 of a length suflicient to extend from the facing faces of each leaf at its offset portion, and this tubular member has a bore to slidably accommo date the pintle 30 but not the head 31. The circumference of this tubular member 35 is preferably about that of the palings It, for it may be paling between each end to screw upon the freescrew-threaded end of the pintles, are suitable members, such as thumb or wing nuts 36. f

In assembling the sections an easy way is to lay one section flat upon a surface andthen lay a second section upon the first so that, as is now apparent, two nontepped leaves at one end of one section will have their perforations 25 concentric with the two stepped leaves at the end of the other section. with a tubular member 35 slipped between the facing leaves at top and bottom rails, and with its bore concentric with the perforations 25, the pintle 30 may be inserted thru the four perforations in the leaves and'thru the bore of the tubular member 35 and the wing nut 35 screwed iipon the'protrudinglend of the;

pintle rod. This prevents the pintle froni dropping out and hingedly connects the two sections. Other sections may be connected in the same manner, or the sections uncoupled, as is now apparent. a

By further screwing the thumb nut 3!, itwill force the two adjacent overlapping offset portions of the leaves tightly together (sincethey w r some resiliency) and the leaf in contact with one end of the tubular member. tightly against the tubular member which, in'turn,- will tightly engage at its opposite end the face of the adjacent leaf and this will press tightly its overlapp leaf, bringing the-head 3| into tight cent with the other face of the overlapping leaf. As a consequence, aided by the corrugations, the adjacent sections will be connected, so that the assembled sections may be disposed'as' desired to form a variety of -shaped play yards or the like. Y

By temporarily removing. one pintle, nut, and tubular member, the sections may be collapsed as shown in Figure 4, or arranged, as a stove-guard or the like, as shown in Figure 5. InFigure'Lthe six sections making up the substantially hexagonal play yard of Figure 6, have been rearranged to .said contacting faces havin corrugations =in,eachpairof hingesatadjacentendsofsaid form a chair which will not collapse, since the sections may be rigidly connected, as wellas' hingedly connected together.

' The frictional contact of the wing nut with the corrugations, preventsa child from working the wing nut loose, nor is it apt to become accidental.- ly loosened from the pintle.

The overhanging offset portions of the leaves are disposed so as to permit ready temporary flexing of the leaves. and the tubular member, as

well shown in Figure 2.

The offsetting of a portion of the hinges enables a compact folding or collapsing of the sections and also permits the assembly of the. sections into a varietyof novel structures, such as the chair shown in Figure 7. In addition, since there are portions extending beyond the general planes of the sectionswhen set up (as in Figure 6, for instance), it is less likely that the structure may be tipped over. This is particularly important, when the sections are assembled into a play yard fence.

There are but few separate parts to the assembly and since all may be carried by the collapsedstructure (as in Figure 4), they are not apt to become mislaid or i Various changes may. be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims- What is claimed is: 1. In a fence section, spaced apart upper and lower rails, a separate hinge leaf rigidly attached at one of its ends to each end of each rail, each of said leaves having a portion extending outwardly beyond the ends of said rails and being offset laterally from the longitudinal axes of said rails, each of said leaves being provided in its offset portion with a pintle perforation, with the leavm extending from the same end of said upper and lower rails'substantially aligning and their perforations concentric, a common pintle for each pair of perforations and a single tubular spacer about each pintle and extendingfromleaftoleafofeachaligningpairof leaves.-

2.1nanarticulated portable fence, ap ity of fence sections havin substantially like top and bottom rails; hinges connecting said sectionstogetherattheendsofonlysaidtopand bottom rails, each of said hinges a slight resiliency and having overlapping portions with the faces thereof in contact with each other. each pair of hinges at adjacent ends ofsaid sections having a common pintle;

theirhingeaincludingarlgidtubularmembm' disposed about each pintle and from ity of fencesections havmg substantially like top and bottom rails; hinges connectingsaid sections together at the ends of only said top and rails, 0f lenh'vwu; a

slight and having overlapping cm with the faces thereof in contact with'each other.

sections having a common pintle; and means cooperating 'with said corrugations to selectively prevent swinging of said sections upon their hinges, including a rigid tubular member dis- 7 and means to selectivelypreventswinsi 'of said sectionsupon therer posed about each pintle and extending from one hinge to the other hinge of which said pintle forms a common pivot, and a member disposed upon the upper face of each uppermost leaf and adapted to bear upon said upper face. w

4. In an articulated portable fence, a fence section having substantially like top and bottom rails; hinges connecting said sections to-" gether at the ends of only said top and bottom rails; each of said hinges e: n a slight resiliency and having overlapping ons with the faces thereof in contact with each other, said contacting faces having corrugations therein, each pairof hinges at adjacent ends of said sections having a common pintle with an enlargement upon the lower end thereof in contact with the outer face of the lowermost leaf and with screw threads about the upper end thereof; and means-cooperating with said corrugations to selectively prevent swinging of said section's upon their hinges, including a rigid tubular member disposed about each pintle and extending from one hinge to the other hinge of which said pintle forms a common pivot,and a member disposed upon the upper face of each uppermost leaf and adapted to bear upon said upper face, said last named member having screw threads cooperating with the screw threads of said pintle.

5. In an article of the class described, spaced apart substantially parallelling rails, a plurality of spaced apart bridging members extending from rail to rail and rigidly connected therewith, hinge leaves attached at the ends of each rail, each leaf being strap-like in shape, each leaf further having a portion offset laterally from the longitudinal axis of the rail to which it is attached and provided in said offset portion with a pintle-receiving perforation the perforations in the leaves extending from the same ends of said paralleling rails being concentric, a common pintie for each pair of aligning perforations and a single spacer about each pintle and extending from and bearing against the inner face of each pair of leaves having their perforations con- WILL1E L. SEAY.

- centric. 

